WASHINGTON, May 29. /TASS/. US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that he was pleased with Russia’s reaction to his remarks and the arrest warrant issued against him by Russian authorities.
Earlier, the Russian Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Senator Graham after Russian Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin ordered that a criminal case be opened over his Russophobic remarks.
"I will wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor," Graham tweeted Monday. The US senator believes that his "commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime," which brings him "immense joy." He stated that he will continue to "stand with and for Ukraine’s freedom."
He put forth a proposal to the Russian side: "I will submit to jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do. Come and make your best case. See you in The Hague!"
Earlier, the Ukrainian side published a video showing Graham stating during his meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky that the deaths of Russian nationals during the conflict in Ukraine is Washington’s "good investment." Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called these words an "embarrassment to the US," while Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the idea of murdering Russians "has long been cemented in the US." Later, Reuters, which examined the full video recording of the meeting, stated that Graham’s words may have been taken out of context. The Russian Foreign Ministry called these statements ridiculous and shameful excuses.
Zakharova proposed that Graham record a short video explaining the remarks he made at a meeting with Zelensky about killing Russians. According to Zakharova, US and UK mass media are now trying to convince Russia that "the statement of Senator Graham was pulled out of context and even doctored by the Kiev regime."
"We have not heard a single word of condemnation towards the Kiev regime," she underscored.